Could you not delete folks who have not posted a Gas Price for their area since being on Gas Buddy? It seems to me that so many folks have many alter egos and maybe if it was a requirement to post gas prices for the area you list as your home city, in order to belong to Gas Buddy, it would cut down on the alter egos.

Okay - so we break the points out under the profile -- what exactly does that accomplish? How will this keep folks more honest? - you can't manipulate those posted statistics.

There are certain topics that are going to attract more trolls. One consumer site I read tried to get rid of their "Politics and Humor" boards, but the politics kept appearing in the regular consumer boards. They also were kept busy policing the politics. So, they opened the POL board back up, and allow a somewhat "looser" standard than on the regular consumer boards.

The way I see it, is that if you don't like the trolling you have the following options:1 - put the trolls on ignore.2 - keep reporting them, and if the GB Mods agree, they will warn or ban the person, or put both of you on mutual ignore, or if they feel you are excessive in reporting others needlessly they will "discuss" the situation with you and you will either become more tolerant or end up banned yourself.3 - avoid the "topics" that tend to attract the "trolls".4 - find another board that discusses those topics but has more staff for moderation.

Trying to force posting will not likely solve the problem as much as create another problem.

It is interesting to me, that under our avatar the amount of posts we have made are noted. Why not note the number of gas price posts we have posted also. I realize that trolls will lie....they are lying when they have several alter egos, after being banned.... but, this might keep some more honest.

I suspect that many non-gas price posting members probably signed up because of the chance to win a prize, then gave up shortly after. Those may return to check prices but not contribute anything.

The other group who signed up just to post in some of the forums, the best way to eliminate that is to get rid of those forums that draw them in. But in doing so GB would be getting rid of a certain number of eyeballs which provides income from the site advertising.

The only real way to prevent this would be to have validated registration, e.g. each potential member must provide a credit card or bank info or other info which can be verified. But GB isn't in the security ID business and that kind of hurdle would scare off a certain number of potential members.

So we probably need to live with a certain number of trolls, unless they create a big enough problem to draw too much attention to themselves.

scoutmaster - the comment about the CC probably came from the fact that some cards are canceling those that don't use their cards at least a few times a year. I take my back of wallet cards out once every 4-6 months as they are my oldest credit. Once I have the new and better cards active long enough, I will close the old ones.

But, as others said, the solution proposed doesn't sound like it will do much to fix the problem, so maybe the OP can propose another potential solution to the problem.

If members start getting deleted due to not having posted any gas prices, then the people that you object to will post (real or fake!) gas prices just to continue being allowed on the site, and they'll continue with objectionable activity. Why bother to implement something that won't solve the perceived problem?

I have no interest in controlling any other "folks topics". However, this discussion category is to bring up issues of interest to the moderators; topics aren't intended to be open-ended free-wheeling venues. Topics, based on tradition and practice, depending on the original post, are generally single issue venues. The original post is a more than sufficient and interesting issue in itself; diverting to political issues changes the direction of the original post and, again, based on tradition and practice, should be reeled in. Off-topic issues can always be discussed in their own threads. In my opinion.

Is that how it goes Gas Buddy.... I actually think that this forum is to discuss stuff you want to have the mods know. Why would you decide to close a topic. Maybe that is what you are used to....I spend time in two topics on here, some controversial, some not....but why close a topic?

If I find a member intolerable, I can ask the mods to warn them. I just am not sure....I just don't know you. Maybe you are the owner of Gas Buddy, but an earlier poster said you were not, or maybe you just like to control other folks topics.

"You should keep in mind that this site is about gas prices, not political discussion. Nothing should be done to improve the latter at the expense of the former.

I'm not sure why anybody even spends time in the political forums. On the few times I have looked at the forum, it just struck me as people regurgitating the daily talking points from the major political parties and talk radio. It wasn't like there was interesting, well thought out discussion occuring."

I would only add to what Scrapheap wrote that much, if not most, of what is posted in the political forums on Gas Buddy amounts to a lot of one-line comments, name calling (including variations of the Obama name and the words Democrat and/or Republican), and yelling, rather than serious discusion.

This website is about, as Scrapheap said, gas prices, and this topic is suggesting deleting members who don't post fuel prices, not about politics. We should either return to the issue in the original post or close the topic.

You should keep in mind that this site is about gas prices, not political discussion. Nothing should be done to improve the latter at the expense of the former.

I'm not sure why anybody even spends time in the political forums. On the few times I have looked at the forum, it just struck me as people regurgitating the daily talking points from the major political parties and talk radio. It wasn't like there was interesting, well thought out discussion occuring.

I suggest that the trolls you are experiencing are in the more political forums. This site does not have enough moderation for keeping everyone happy in charged areas such as politics. Actually, many sites I know end up closing the POL boards due to the heated arguments. Too much complaints of abuse and trolling in the non-gas forums could lead to a similar decision by the PTB.

There are a lot of folks that don't post prices and don't get tickets that have real addresses.

I don't think your solution to the problem will work as there are plenty of folks that are not trolls that don't post prices. Forcing trolls to post prices will just cause more harm.

They (your trolls) are not hear to stick pins on folks that are posting prices -- they may be on the forums to argue topics and even troll in those topics. All you can do is report those that use TOS-able language or attack the PERSON not the IDEA.

These boards are largely unmonitored except by each other as GB doesn't have the staff to totally babysit these forums.

I do think if one never registered for gas prize...they possibly have a fake address. BTW...does anyone have 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for their address? Can I have that address when I become MistyMary....(-;

Most the trolls are not here to get gas info...they are here to stick pins in the folks who are posting gas prices.

I don't think that posting gas prices would in any way deter trolls who register with alt-ids. It is just as easy to post under an alt-id as a normal one, so this would do nothing to solve the problem you are describing.

Reporting suspect behavior is the only way to accomplish what you are suggesting. Perhaps the mods could use price posts as a possible indication of trolling behavior (i.e. hundreds of message posts and little if any price posts). Though there are quite a few regular "contributors" to the forums who don't post prices every day.

As for the 12 percent of members who don't post any prices, they are more than welcome to use the site for looking up prices and their value is in page views and whatever clicks they may do after checking prices. I don't foresee removing them for any reasons stated in this thread, as they do have some marginal value and are generally not violating any of the Terms of Membership.

There are some very prolific posters on Gas Buddy, that I know have had at least three names here. I would not mind but they are personally very nasty also (they didn't get banned for no reason). It just seems to me it would be a kinder, gentler place if some of the folks with many names who probably do not post gas prices were gone.

I have heard about three people on here who feel they were stalked... one left completely to get away, one died, and the other one is very cautious.

One sure way to know if a person has given you a right name and address is ....have they ever registered for the prize gas. I asked the mods this once and they said, yes, there are many who never register for prizes....add that together with never posting gas prices and you got yourself a troll.

mexicomaria writes,> I suspect that the value of this site lies in how many members are here.

The nominal membership count is meaningless, because most people who choose to leave the site do so silently, without requesting that their account be officially terminated. And the buyer is going to know that, and hence probably wouldn't even bother to ask for that count. I don't think it affects the value of the site.

However, I don't think there's any point in doing cleanup unless the benefits outweigh the costs. I can think of a couple of costs, and only very minor benefits.

Gas_Buddy is, despite his handle, just a GB member like the rest of us. The only official GB representatives I know of would be the moderators who use handles with the red bus icon, in place of the colored auto icon the rest of us have.

That having been said, mexicomaria's suggestion is interesting. I have m own suspicions of "sock puppet" handles used by banned members. I don't know how practical it is, though.

Do it; post gas prices. No one is stopping or discouraging you from accurately posting gas prices.

"...but when I drive by the gas stations by my house and come here, the amount has already been posted. So I basically leave the gas post alone"

Gas price posts remain visible only a limited time before being automatically deleted. By posting a gas price that may be the same as what's already been posted by a fellow Gas Buddy member, you're extending the visibility of the price for others to see, a gesture of courtesy and continuing information.

yjsk2100 "when I drive by the gas stations by my house and come here, the amount has already been posted. So I basically leave the gas post alone (for now) "You should update even if only moments old if you see fresh price. The fresher the better. When I look at prices and there are two stations on my route listed with the same price, I tend to go to the one with the freshest price if prices are rising.

I have been a member for a couple months. I play games, do the polls, read the news stories and send friend requests. I would like to post gas prices but when I drive by the gas stations by my house and come here, the amount has already been posted. So I basically leave the gas post alone (for now)

For clarification, just because a member reads gas prices posted by others, takes part in the weekly poll, takes part in the discussions, and/or reads the news articles but does not post gas prices doesn't necessarily mean the member is a troll or that the member is trolling.

While posting gas prices would help their fellow members, and it would return the favor they receive from reading prices posted by others, there is no obligation or requirement that they post prices, nor should there be.

This is a volunteer website, people posting fuel prices to help people. There already is a high number of complaints about false price posting; requiring people to post prices would simply encourage people to copy prices (rather than post prices they actually saw) in order to take part in other Gas Buddy activities. Better to have non-price posting members that may, in the future, post prices than prohibit people from seeing prices unless they themselves post prices simply because those non-contributory members wish to remain "background participants".

Yeah, I agree. Let's take all those thousands of users who use the site just to see what the prices are and kick'em off. GB doesn't need their eyeballs and clicks to create income, because it is roooooolling in money.

" However, woke one day to find the mods blked me from seeing someone"I understand that the MODS have put people on mutual ignore.There are things that clearly cross the line...other things can be less clear.

I never put anyone on ignore, as I pretty much like to see where the enemy is coming from (“One, if by land, and two, if by sea”). However, woke one day to find the mods blked me from seeing someone, because he called me a "white washed sepulcher, and a pharisee". Mods must have believed that.....and they are in charge.

Although I have no issue with cleaning up inactive ID's I am not sure requiring someone to post gas prices is a good idea. We encourage it, but it should not be required. It might be one means of consideration when a moderator takes action on trolls.

" Get rid of long dead wood, and drop non gas posters, make it a requirement. Sure some will lie...they do now. But it might lesson up all the reports of bad behavior the mods get."

I suspect that the value of this site lies in how many members are here. That makes the site more attractive to a buyer.

I believed the purpose of this site was the posted gas prices made it possible to drive in our area, or travel, by finding the best gas prices.

I think there are trolls here who have or have had several alter egos, they get banned and come right back from a different state or city. Question do they post gas prices?

Gas Buddy said, 12% don't post gas prices, another 15% rarely post prices....so over a quarter of folks do not participate other than to troll.

What is the actual membership....the membership stated when they sold this place. I believe probably another quarter haven't been here for years.

Would it drop the value of this site to clean it up. Get rid of long dead wood, and drop non gas posters, make it a requirement. Sure some will lie...they do now. But it might lesson up all the reports of bad behavior the mods get.

You are correct TxJeans, you have to have hair on your chest and eat glass to step into the Political Topic.

jrvsa "I think the main subject here is the Trolls who join to be disruptive in the forums. Requiring these morons to post prices is asking for fraudulent price posting.

I think it could be useful to delete members who have less than 1000 points and who have shown no activity for a long period, say a year or two. I see no benefit to clogging up the records with essentially useless data and it would free up some nics that someone might like to use."

Agreed.

I suspect that some of those that are being complained about are in the more politically charged forums.

I fail to understand why someone would join GB and not post prices. One does not have to be a member to look up prices or read the news.

I think the main subject here is the Trolls who join to be disruptive in the forums. Requiring these morons to post prices is asking for fraudulent price posting.

I think it could be useful to delete members who have less than 1000 points and who have shown no activity for a long period, say a year or two. I see no benefit to clogging up the records with essentially useless data and it would free up some nics that someone might like to use.

There are several people that have been banned and came back several times with other names and got banned and are now back again. They change their location so that folks do not guess who they are and get them banned again.

They can be particularly nasty and prolific posters.. I believe they do not post gas prices as they do not live where they say they do.... Their style is very much like folks who have been banned a couple times.

It is easy to do the math and see they do not do gas posting...

I thought, way drown deep that the main reason for Gas Buddy was to give Gas Buddy members and others the most up to date gas prices in your area or while traveling.

Today I did the math on a person who has been banned twice and I believe is back for at least the third time, he is posting no gas prices.

I guess I feel that perhaps it should be a requirement here to post gas prices. I do know if you cheat enough to post under another name after you have been banned several times, that you will cheat and just copy other members prices they post.

A recent Gas Buddy poll asking how frequently members post prices. Of the more than Just over 18,000 people responding to the poll, 12 percent indicated that they never post gas prices, while an additional 15 percent indicated they seldom post gas prices.

That said, they did respond to the poll.. That means that 25 percent of the Gas Buddy members who took the time to read the poll question and respond do take part in other Gas Buddy activities. That means they might be taking part in the polls, taking part in the various discussion categories, reading the news articles and points of view, or (for the most part) take advantage of reviewing gas prices posted by their local Gas Buddy members.

Granted a large number of those who don't post gas prices are in all likelihood no longer actively participating, what makes you think that those non-participating members have multiple alter egos (i.e., multiple screen names)? If you're not going to post prices it seems it would be counter-producteve to simply come up with multiple screen names just to have them.

Note that I (and I've been criticized for it) have routinely suggested that members post fuel prices for the knowledge and benefit of their fellow members, and as many responsible members have noted (and has been noted in the recent poll) gas price posting is not a requirement for membership or participating in other Gas Buddy activities. I don't disagree that a review or purge of non-participating members won't open up some screen names for future use, I doubt that forcing members to post gas prices will be productive and could, in fact, lead to members simply copying or reposting gas prices submitted by others, leading to false information for other members.